Indicating and attaching device for sunken ships



1. E. sToLTz. INDCATING AND ATACHING DEVICE FOR SUNKEN SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I4. 1920.

Patented July 12, 1921.

u 3 u f R 3. my s 4/ m m a m@ m. o N SwWSMSHS] JST f Il k l www ATTORNEY e iNDiCATING AND ATTACHING'DEVI'CE Fon suivizniv sHIrs.

UNiTED s'rATES 'PATENT OEFICL v y JOHN E. s'i'oL'rz, 0F GHARIQESTON, WASHINGTON.

application mea May` 14,

Charleston. in thel county of Kitsap and State of Washington, have invented new and useful Improvements in Indicating and Attaching Devices for Sunken Ships.

My invention relates to improvements in such devices. wherein a pair or a plurality of pairs of buoys are oppositely located on the deck of a ship, each pair connected by a line operating upon a reel contained in each buoy, said line extending through an inner portion of the hull and slidably engaged therein so that when the ship is sunken and the buoys are afloat a cable may be connected with the line and` drawn through Vthe hull by the reel on one of the buoys, thereby securing a cable through the hull and above the water on each side of the ship for lifting purposes.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention. and wherein- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a buoy, with a section partly cut away, showing a compartment containing cork and a reel carrying a line, the lower portion of the figure showingin longitudinal section the upper portion of a way for the line, said way provided with a flaring opening adjacent the reel.

Fig. 2 represents in cross-section the double hull of a ship; a pair of buoys oppositely located on each side and a tube between the walls of the hull adapted to carry a line connected with the reels of the buoys.

Fig. 3 illustrates the method of fastening said tube to the walls of a ship.

The apparatus provides a plurality of pairs of buoys designed to be placed on the deck of a ship and oppositely located at the sides, Fig. l being illustrative of one of the buoys. lt comprises a casing l,whicli may be of any7 suitable form. Within the casing are a number of watertight compartments shown at 2, filled with cork as illustrated at 3, suicient to give the requisite buoyaiicy. 4l. is a ring to facilitate handling of the device on deck, or for attaching a tow line. 5 is a reehcarrying a line, rotatably mounted in the lower part of the casing Aas shown at 6, the portion 7 at its free end being of a form adapted to be engaged by a crank for handling the reel and line. The compartment of the buoy containing the reel is provided at its upper portion with the E. StroL'iz, a. citizen `of the United States, residing at Specification of Letters Patent.` i Patented July 12, 1921 '1920. seriai No. 381,371. 'i

wall 8 .of a strength sufficient to keep water(V away from; the cork; the lower portion is open, the sides of the casing, however, having at the ends a contour whichwill fit into and rest `.upon complemental` portions of a flaring end of the line way. 9 is a strip `of rubber or other suitable material to make a close contact between the buoy and l0, one end of the line way. The line way 11, through Vwhich the line or cable l2 is adapted. to slide, is located in the ship substantially as shown in Fig. 2. This figure illusy trates a hull provided with double walls, with a line Way consisting of a tube extending between the walls and terminating at each end in flared openings.- These openings will be located slightly above the deck,

and the buoys placed on the openings as i illustrated in' the figures. Said flared openings. are designed to accommodate the operation of a line or cable on the reels. The

tube will be fixedly attached to the outer walls by bands riveted to the walls and extending around the tube in such a way as tp give to the tube and its fastenings considerable resistant strength against the upward pull of a cable. In Fig. 3 is shown a section oI' the tube as held in place on the wall of a ship, the band'lB being preferably of iron or steel, and securely riveted or bolted to said wall. Vhile Fig. 2 illustrates a ship with double walls, the device can be as well applied to one with single walls, and the tube attached in a similar manner.

In utilizing the apparatus, l contemplate the use ordinarily of two or more pairs of buoys, with their corresponding line ways, the number to be governed by the size or weight of the vessel. With the flared terminals close to4 a deck which will permittlie buoys to rise in case of submergence, the buoysare placed on the terminals as .shown in the illustrations. Should a ship sink, the buoys will rise to the surfaf.;e,fthere being suflieient length of line in the buoys to provide for any depth from which a ship could be salvaged. The buoys floating on the water will then indicate thelocation of the ship. When it is desired to raise the ship,

VVa cable possessing sustaining power coin-` ship, by turning the reel on the opposite buoy. In' this manner a lifting or sustaining cable is secured Within the hull the ship and extending up on either side.

Iclaim: yi An apparatus of the class described, comprising in combination With a ship, a plurality of pairs of buoys oppositely located on a deck of said ship, each buoy having ya casing, Within the casing afplurality of watertight compartments carrying cork, belowv saidI compartments another compartment having rotatably mountedv therein i a reel carrying a line7 the loiverend of said second compartment being open and pro-- vided with inturned angular sections: along its edge7 a way i for the line located adjacent the Wallsofvthel hull and extending around the interior of sa1ne,`provided With fasten- A. ings having resistive strength against lift- `reelingthe line from either of said pairV of:

buoys and through the line way. y A Y Y i JOHN E. STOLTZ. 

